RWBY: The Fourth Crusade
by Enuncia
Summary: Ruby centric AU set after season 4 finale. Action, intrigue, romance, suspense. Ruby and her comrades embark on a quest to bring the perpetrators of the Vale attacks to justice but uncover a much larger game at play. A war waged in secret for many years. Follow Ruby and her allies on their journey as they lose friends and even a part of themselves as they fight to save humanity.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey all, Enuncia here, please read the authors notes at the bottom of the page._

 _Enjoy._

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 **Prologue Part 1.**

The first sensation Roman felt upon his abrupt return to consciousness was not a pleasant one.

Roman's stomach flipped. Acidic bile crashed into the back of his throat. The miniaturised vomit tsunami threatened to gush into his mouth. He forced the foul tasting fluid back down. He wretched at the stinging aftertaste it left in the back of his throat. His hands squeezed the reassuring length of Melodic Cudgel, Roman silently thanked whatever benevolent god had deemed him lucky enough to keep hold of his weapon. Sweltering heat singed his skin and stole the air from his lungs. The acrid stench of burning flesh stung his nose as the corpses of the murdered crew caught alight.

Finally, other more bearable sensation reached his brain. The air current whistled by his ear and particles suspended within stung his eyes as the buffeting wind threatened to snatch his clothes from his frame, which now bore the first signs of malnutrition due to his extended stay in captivity. His white coat flapped slackly against his body. It was now slightly too big for him, not that Roman minded, any excuse to break out his sewing kit for some therapeutic tailoring was welcome. _Speaking of clothing…_ _where is my damned hat,_ Roman wondered idly. He took in his surroundings for the first time since regaining consciousness.

He was still aboard the airship. _Which was good_. The airship was currently accelerating towards the ground at an ever increasing rate. _Which was bad…_

Even moving his neck to survey his smoke shrouded surroundings hurt. Everything hurt. He forced himself upright, stumbling for the first few steps as his footing adjusted to the slanted surface he found himself upon. He finally used his cane for its intended purpose. The remains of the command room lay around him. Crumpled consoles sparked and smouldered, ruptured cables hissed and snapped as they swayed like miniature king Taijitu. It was beside one such flaming terminal that Roman spotted his beloved hat. Amongst the toppled chairs, tucked safely away was the article of clothing that brought Romans whole outfit together. He still remembered the words of his first employer. Some low level gang boss for some group of thugs and dealers called the Bluebloods. He'd said "If you want to be feared kid, you've got to be memorable first. Find something unique, some weapon or tattoo. Make sure they know who did it, let them know who not to fuck with." Roman had taken those words to heart and the advice had served him well throughout the years of his criminal career.

He threw the chairs aside and retrieved his hat, brushing it off before carefully placing it back atop his head. Roman emerged fully from his stupor as he remembered just how he had ended up back in the command deck of the airship. He'd been beating little red with his cane, educating her on the harsh realities of the real world. Then there had been a sudden disappearance of all light and sound. An all encompassing, oppressive darkness surrounded him, emanating a sickening warmth as the stench of death invaded his nostrils. Next came an ear splitting roar that seemed to assault his senses from every direction at once. The sudden sensation of motion escalated into the dizzying feeling of his orientation rapidly changing. His malnourished frame bounced painfully around the dark confines he found himself in. The last thing he'd felt before unconscious claimed him was the abrupt cessation of movement. Roman concluded that he'd been swallowed whole by a Grimm, probably a large Griffon or Nevermore. The realisation made his stomach churn anew.

Shuddering, he put the thought from his mind and examined the flickering screen of the command console, the altimeter of the digital display was rapidly decreasing. It now read 900 feet. Roman took a look at the skyline, cursing as he realised the cliff upon which Beacon academy stood was now level with him.

He glanced back to the terminal, futilely scanning the holographic keys for a button labeled 'restart engines' or 'avoid crash'. Roman had rehearsed his role in this job time and again. Even going as far as building a mock up of the command room and daubing it in paint to mark essential buttons. But the countless hours he had spent poring over diagrams and manuals had all been for nought. In every possible scenario he had anticipated, the ship's engines being out of action had never come up. "Fuck!" He snarled as he put his fist through the screen, putting an end to any possibility of him deciphering the flickering readouts.

A series of muted explosions rumbled through the decks. Roman took this as his signal to leave. He clambered out through the opening left by the flailing form of the Grimm as the ship tilted a full ninety degrees. Roman grabbed a jagged piece of the view port's frame with his free hand as his legs dangled into oblivion. A red blur fell past him, as his eyes caught up with the falling object, an all too familiar gunshot rang out. Little red fired straight down in an effort to slow her descent. _How hard is it to kill one girl?_ Roman thought to himself as he barred his teeth and took aim. He tensed his arm, fighting to steady his aim in spite of the wind slamming into his body and tugging at the elongated barrel of Melodic Cudgel. As his aura flowed into his weapon the sight at the end of the barrel flicked up. The crosshairs rested over the red reaper. Roman adjusted his aim, giving his target lead, taking into account speed and distance. His snarl twisted into a malicious smile as his finger tightened on the trigger.

A black mass slammed into his malnourished frame. Black wings and skin speckled with outcrops of white bone entered the periphery of his vision a moment before his head was slammed violently against the metal hull. He could feel talons pressing his face and left shoulder against the airframe. His bones creaked and stars danced across his vision. Only his aura stopped the talons from slicing into his skin. Roman's right shoulder lanced pain signals through his nervous system as his right arm now supported the weight of both him and his assailant. Roman cried out in pain and rage and blindly fired Melodic Cudgel over his shoulder. The point blank blast slammed him against the angular hull. The headless corpse of the Grimm nearly tore him from his precarious perch. The Griffon's carcass caught the wind and collided with one of its brethren before dissolving into nothingness.

Roman's fringe was plastered to his forehead with sweat. He clamped Melodic Cudgel between his teeth, stifling his heavy breathing. His left hand found purchase on the angular hull, easing the strain to his now damaged right shoulder. He closed his eyes and attempted to calm his tremulous breathing and frantic heart.

There would be no respite, however. A second Griffon attacked, its bone-white beak sought out the taut muscle of his left bicep and clamped down. Its claws slid into the armoured airship's ruptured fuselage with little issue as it attempted to tear him from the ship he so desperately clung to. Its thrashing form slammed him face first into the hull and bashed his weapon from between his teeth. "No!" Roman lamented as the outstretched fingers of his right hand brushed against the cane's handle before the slipstream snatched it away. Roman's eyes were still fixated on Melodic Cudgel spinning away as the Grimm finally wrenched his weakened grip from the airframe.

Grimm and criminal fell entwined, tumbling end over end to the whims of the wind. Claws slashed, fists punched. Still the Griffon maintained its unwavering hold on Roman's left arm with its beak. He clawed at his enemy's face with his free hand. His searching digits found one of its baleful red eyes. Roman's fingers slid along its smooth skull, he forced his thumb into the creature's eye socket and was rewarded with a muted pop and the sensation of hot blood spurting down his forearm. The beast wailed in pain and Roman capitalised on its beak's slackening grip to pull his arm free. The creature planted the paws of its rear legs on his torso and kicked him clear. Roman tumbled through the air and collided with yet another Griffon, his desperate fingers tore fistfuls of black fur and feathers from its body as he grappled with the Grimm for dominance. The creature flapped its wings trying to orientate itself as the two opponents plummeted. Finally Roman managed to wrap his legs around its neck. He sat astride its throat and kept its clacking beak at bay by gripping its feathery mane with his left hand. His right fist rained blows of its thick skull as the creature sliced chunks away from his aura with its frantic claws. The bone plate cracked beneath Roman's feral onslaught, his next punch shattered the white mask. The beast fell limp beneath him. The next four punches were more akin to stress relief rather than for any practical reason. Blood spattered across his face and chest as he screamed wordless anger into its now unrecognisable face.

Yet another Grimm cannoned into him, sending him spinning through the air. Roman flailed his arms fruitlessly as the doomed aircraft continued to accelerate towards the ground, now belly up and spewing smoke some thirty feet beneath him. His cane spun into view falling after the doomed ship. Roman rolled over and altered his posture. He brought his legs together and brought his arms to his sides to make himself more aerodynamic and accelerated after his weapon. He squinted as the rushing wind elicited tears from his eyes. A few moments later his fingers wrapped around Melodic Cudgel's handle. Roman felt whole once more.

He turned his attention to the maelstrom of Grimm circling Ironwood's floundering craft. Hundreds of Griffons, accompanied by a few dozen Nevermores screeched and cawed as if commentating on the descent of the plummeting vehicle. The avian Grimm took turns to dive down into the city, striking panicking civilians or overwhelming the paltry resistance offered by the Valean and Atlesian troops. Drop ships and fighter aircraft flitted through the airborne swarm, bobbing and weaving to avoid the ever increasing number of Grimm clouding the sky. Chin guns chattered and missiles screamed, neither seemed to make a dent in the horde. Roman witnessed an Atlesian drop ship lose an engine to the feather barrage of a Nevermore, the pilot screamed and clawed at the cockpit window as the craft went belly up and spiralled down after its larger counterpart. An emergency hatch opened as frantic soldiers jumped to their doom. Most were snatched from the sky before they ever made fatal contact with the ground. Roman wasn't sure who was luckier.

Seeing such a spectacle had taken his attention away from the Grimm. A group had split from the main contingent and were heading straight for him.

He twisted clumsily in the air, forewarned by the screech of an overeager Nevermore. Roman fired two dust flares, both failed to penetrate the Grimm's hide, neither damaging nor deterring the creature. Roman spread his arms and legs, dramatically slowing his fall and narrowly avoiding his attacker. The Nevermore swept below him, Roman dropped onto the beast and kicked off of its wing, propelling himself clear of the creature. A Griffon swooped down, seeking his neck with its claws. Roman batted the attack aside with his cane and spun midair, his heel connected with the things face, snapping its neck. An adolescent Nevermore barged into him a moment later, leaving him once again at the mercy of gravity.

The ground rushed up to meet him. Roman had mere seconds to act. A Griffon swooped down from above, Roman managed to get a shot off. The resulting explosion pulped one of its wings. The crippled Grimm fell into him, the Griffon's maw opened wide, preparing to engulf Roman's head. He managed to jam Melodic Cudgel into the creature's beak, he braced one hand at either end of the cane's length to hold his attacker at bay. Man and monster spiralled towards the ground, flipping gracelessly end over end. Beneath the two grappling combatants, the colossal Atlesian airship finally made contact with the buildings below. First shearing off Chimneys, then crushing entire houses. Next the craft tore into the roadways and building foundations, leaving a deep gouge in the Valean cityscape half a mile long. Vibrant red fires started along its length, reminiscent of blood seeping from an open wound. The screech of rending metal surged into the air, drowning out all opposing noise, as the ship finally came to a halt.

Roman saw none of this as he spat an unending stream of curses at his assailant, answered by the Griffon with anguished screeches. The cracks between the paving stones below became visible. Rooftops rose to eye level.

Roman squeezed his eyes shut and braced for impact.

A loud crash left his ears ringing and a sickening wet snap cut off the panicked screeching of the Grimm with which he had grappled. Stone splintered beneath him, a series of snapping sounds denoted a spiderweb of cracks spreading across the paving stones. Roman groaned as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees with shaking arms. A somewhat viscous wetness coated his face and dampened his clothes. He wiped the liquid from around his eyes with the back of his forearm before opening them. Roman found himself staring into a puddle of gore. His coat flapped lankly with his slight movements as red blood and liquidised organs dripped from thoroughly soaked fabric. The fluid soaking his frame evaporated into foul smelling smoke. The puddle beneath him followed suit a moment later, revealing Melodic Cudgel. As the smoke cleared, Roman took in his surroundings. Around him all he could see was rubble, pebbles skittered down its surface as the stones settled in their new positions. Above him the storefronts stood seemingly unscathed. He surmised that he had broken through the pavement and into the cellar of one of the stores.

Roman retrieved his weapon and clambered from the crater of his own creation. Ever more inventive expletives were hissed from between his teeth as handholds fell free from the mound of rubble despite his cautious touch. The distant din of battle grew louder as he ascended.

Finally, over the lip of the crater, a black glove came into view, slapping down onto the flat stone of the road. With a grunt of exertion, Roman's head and shoulders rose from the crater, Melodic Cudgel once more clamped between his teeth. His left hand joined his right, he dragged himself over the craters edge in a less than graceful manner. Thoroughly exhausted, Roman rolled over onto his back, his legs still dangling into the depression from which he had just escaped. His chest rose and fell as he took some sorely needed deep breaths. Roman sat upright and took in the carnage in which he was situated. One side of the street remained almost untouched, pristine even. The other half was naught but rubble. Squat piles of brick and concrete rose up in place of the buildings that used to stand there, like funeral mounds. _Hell some of them probably were_. All those ruined structures being unoccupied at the time of destruction seemed unlikely to Roman. The shorn stems of streetlights protruded from their stone tombs. The carnage was consistent for almost half a mile down the right side of the road. At the end of the street, the twisted carcass of Ironwood's ship lay broken and burning. He turned his attention back to the more intact side of the street, hoping for some sort of recognisable landmark. A nearby store seemed somewhat familiar to Roman. The sign above proudly proclaimed the stores name in bold orange font. It read 'From Dust Till Dawn'.

Roman lowered his gaze, noticing for the first time the hunched form of an elderly man in a red apron, sweeping the dust away from his storefront with a straw brush, seemingly oblivious to the battle raging barely a few blocks away. The shopkeep had his back to Roman, sluggishly moving the broom back and forth across the paving stones with laboured yet determined sweeps. Airborne dust irritated the back of Roman's throat, eliciting a hacking cough that startled the shopkeep. The old man turned to face the source of the noise as quickly as his wizened frame would allow. His bewildered expression soon became a hostile frown as he recognised the thug who had robbed his dust store a few months prior. His brow furrowed as his hands wrung the handle of his broom in his white knuckled grip. He shambled towards the criminal sitting on the edge of the crater, brandishing his brush as a makeshift weapon. Roman half-heartedly pointed Melodic Cudgel at the elderly man, the targeting reticule flipped with a menacing click as his aim settled squarely on the shopkeep.

The old man froze under Roman's withering glare. "Do not test me grandpa, I've had a bad day. If you hit me with that brush, I swear to god, I'll blow your wizened brain through your equally wrinkled ass." He hissed. The shopkeep gave a discontented grumble in response and seemed to be about to return to his sweeping. "Get inside, it's not safe on the streets, enough people have died today." Roman added, his tone softening. The old man raised one of his bushy eyebrows before shuffling back to the entrance of his store. "Don't let the door break your hip on the way in, grandpa." He teased. The shopkeep gave him a parting scowl as the door creaked shut.

Roman leaned his cane against his leg as his thoughts turned to Neo. His right arm snaked into the interior breast pocket of his white coat, his gloved hand shook slightly from the ebbing adrenaline as he fished his scroll from the pocket it resided in. He turned the device over so that the screen was facing him.

A haphazard spiderweb of cracks radiating out across the glossy screen smiled back like the grin of a broken toothed man. A hissed curse forced itself out from behind his teeth and between his pursed lips. The leather of his left gloved creaked audibly as his fist clenched. He tapped the screen hesitantly with the gentle prod of a finger. The screen remained dark and unresponsive. Roman's shoulders sagged as he slid the damaged device back into the soft embrace of his pocket.

His thoughts were a whirlwind of worries. _Neo had her umbrella and a large aura pool that was almost totally full last time he saw her, she could have made it down safely. But if the Grimm were now targeting her too… what if she didn't make it? No. I can afford to think like that, she made it, she's alive. She has to be._ Roman calmed himself and took stock of the situation, he didn't have a way of contacting Neo but they had prearranged location to meet up at as contingency plans incase they lost contact. The primary was the CCT tower, which clearly wasn't an option right now(he knew his partner in crime would reach the same conclusion). The secondary rendezvous point should be more suitable, a sizeable warehouse where Roman had stored stolen shipments of dust before moving them to Mountain Glenn.

So now he just had to cross a Grimm infested, war torn city on foot with low aura… _how bad could it be?_

His unspoken question was answered by the throaty roars of ravenous Grimm heading his way.

 _Shit._

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 ** _Please review!_**

 _So there you have it part 1 of the prologue, I sincerely hope you liked it. This story is currently just an experiment consisting of 6 trial chapters. But if enough people are interested in the concept by the end I'll continue my plan. The prologue focuses on setting up things and side characters, though soon we will get to Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren._

 _If you came here from Bunny and the Bully s/11093071/1/Bunny-And-The-Bully_

 _Then I would like you to know that I do plan to finish that story it's just hit a patch of writers block._


	2. Chapter 2

Music sloshed around the homely pub, rowdy patrons laughed raucously, some whispered half heard flirts. Others cursed the gods or even their own ancestors as they lamented the cruel whims of dice as they clattered against the wooden table, unheard above the commotion. Ruby, Jaune, Ren and Nora perched on worn wooden stools at one end of the crowded bar, sipping sheepishly in the crowded environment, with the exception of Nora who noisily slurped down her larger with gusto not bothering to wipe the foamy moustache from her top lip. They talked in hush tones about a secret war, one known only to them in the bar, now that Qrowe had left with a black haired boy of tanned complexion.

Jaune let his gaze wander, leaving his three companions do their discussion. The windows rattled in their wooden frames weathering the wicked winds as a slew of snow slammed into the glass. His attention was brought abruptly away from the unseasonal storm by a jovial slap to the back. He span on his stool to face a heavily tattooed fellow with a beaming smile splitting his bushy brown beard. "Hey there hunty man, you were in the tournament weren't you, against team BRNZ?" he half slurred half shouted with an exotic accent. Jaune rubbed the back of his head and nodded nervously in response. "Man, you were awesome, all your team was really I don't even care about losing two hundred Lien. Odds of that Pyrrha Nikos losing were a hundred to one, too good to miss out, know what I mean?" He gushed, clapping the scraggly blonde on the shoulder. "Where is the lovely lady anyways?"

The leader of team JNPR suddenly sat upright in his seat, his mouth dry and his throat raw. "She's... gone..." The words came out as little more than a whisper.

Still, the bearded drunkard heard him. "Man I'm really sorry, I didn't know, you need a drink? Let me get you one?"

"It's okay," he mumbled, "I- I have to go." With that he made a beeline for the front door and strode out into the night.

Ruby made to follow, concern etched into her features, though Ren's gentle grip of her shoulder gave her pause. "Just give him time." Ren intoned wisely.

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Jaune trudged out across the snowy meadow, just another insignificant white speck in the expanse which ended abruptly with a sheer cliff. The village receded behind him as he leaned into the buffeting wind coming over the channel. The smell of the ocean and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks below reached him as he neared the cliff edge. More snow fell behind him, covering his tracks and erasing Remnant's memory of him one tiny ice particle at a time. The wind's shrill voice quietened now that it was free to move as it pleased, no longer forced down narrow streets, though this factor did little to mitigate the oppressive cold. Jaune failed to notice the wind's chill, the meagre protection of his now thoroughly soaked hoodie had long since left him numb. _Numb outside, numb inside._ He thought to himself as he walked onto a narrow finger of land that stretched out into the sea, finally he reached the cliff edge.

His toes hung over the abyss as he gazed straight down at the jumble of black boulders being pounded by the ten metre high waves. The black onyx rocks contrasted sharply with his snowy surroundings like the light and dark within one's soul.

He heard the crunch of footsteps upon unspoiled snow behind him but didn't bother turning, presuming it to be one of his friend's coming to check on him. The footsteps came to a halt a few paces away. "You're not going to jump are you?" A male voice asked.

It wasn't Ren's voice but neither was it a totally unfamiliar one. "No." Jaune replied as he wracked his brain for an answer.

"Good" the not quite stranger paused before speaking again, as if considering his next words carefully. "Aren't you cold?" The voice asked.

"Doesn't matter." Jaune muttered with a shrug, causing the small mounds of snow to fall from his shoulders.

"I suppose you're right, it won't matter much to you soon." The voice said cryptically. Jaune raised an eyebrow and turned, greeted by the sight of a man wrapped in a silver cloak. His face was shrouded in the shadow of his hood, only a clean shaven lower jaw was kissed by the pale moonlight. Jaune had to wonder if this was all just the work of his grief addled mind, his bewilderment must have shown on his face as a smirk graced the only visible portion of the stranger's face. "You look pretty upset, though I can't say I blame you. I'd say there's plenty more fish in the sea but there won't be any quite like Pyrrha. She was something special for sure." The male voice sighed

Jaune's expression hardened at the mention of his recently deceased teammate. "Who are you?" He asked quietly. _This has to be part of my mind, am I really losing it this badly?_ He asked himself.

The smirk of the not quite stranger grew wider. Slowly, a hand clad in a fingerless glove parted the cloak, the black fabric of the glove instantly accruing white specks of snow as it met the elements. A forearm armoured with matt grey vambraces followed. The arm reached up, the precisely manicured nails of the hand scraped along the cloak's silver surface until they made contact with the clasp at his throat. The cloak was unclasped with deft and precise movements. Though the not quite stranger's eyes were concealed from view in the hood's shadow, Jaune could tell they were staring right at him. Finally the cloak slid away, fluttering from its wearer's shoulders as the wind took hold of the unsecured garment.

Jaune's eyes widened as he took a nervous step back, the heel of his foot hung over the cliff edge and Jaune jolted to a stop. "Y- you." He stammered, alternating his gaze between the fatal fall to his rear and the warrior who far outclassed him to his front. Jaune now knew for sure that the threat facing him was all too real.

Stood before him, in full combat attire, was Mercury Black.

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Remorseless silver eyes stared him down. The clean shaven jaw clenched before relaxing into a smug smile. "Hello Jaune." The assassin greeted in a way that was anything but friendly. "Lovely weather we're having." He added, gesturing to their snowy surroundings with a slight nod of his head.

Jaune's mouth opened and shut as his mind tried to prioritise which of the multitude of questions to ask first. Meanwhile, his subconscious did what it could to prepare him, forcing him to take a step forward, away from the cliff edge but towards a different danger. "What are you doing here?" The scraggly blond asked cautiously as his sword hand moved towards his weapon. The warrior facing him frowned as Jaune's fingertips brushed against the pommel of Crocea Mors. A low mirthless chuckle left the Mercury's throat.

"You're an enigma Jaune. I never could tell if you were brave or stupid."

"I asked you a question." Jaune said with as much courage as he could muster.

"We both know the answer already. Thanks for not jumping by the way, that would have been far less entertaining."

Jaune drew his sword and expanded his sheath into shield form. His feet slid into a wide combat stance, low to the ground. "So that's the way it is, huh?"

"It's nothing personal, it's the same for all assassins, a job's a job." Mercury Black replied. "Though they're not normally this easy." He added smugly.

The assassin reached slowly and deliberately over his shoulder, his silver stare never leaving Jaune's apprehensive blue gaze. The scraggly blond tensed and unconsciously held his breath. The sight that next met his eyes made his breath hitch in his throat. Mercury's hand reemerged gripping a bronze shield. Leather straps on the inside of the shield held a sword of red metal edged in gold.

Pyrrha's weapons.

Mercury grinned broadly at the sight of Jaune's mortified expression. "Your friend was so much fun to fight, a shame I had to forfeit." The grey clad killer slid the stolen sword free of the straps. "I'd have won for sure but I know it would have been… interesting." He looked down at the sword and shield in his hands as if testing the weight of Milo and Akouo.

"You stole them?" Jaune snapped.

"Very elegant weapons, so versatile…" Mercury continued his monologue, ignoring Jaune entirely. He stroked the length of the sword and prodded the tip of the bare finger of his shield hand with the point of Pyrrha's sword. Jaune noticed for the first time Akouo had been modified, a pair of thick leather straps now adorned the back side of the shield to allow someone without polarity to use it. "Cinder actually broke the sword, but letting such a good weapon design go to waste… the thought broke my frail little heart." Mercury held the stolen sword up to the moonlight, admiring the way the blade caught the pale rays. "I had her weapons reforged, spared no expense I assure you." His eyes snapped back to focusing on his target. "And now I'm going to kill you with them." He flashed his opponent a predatory smile as he moved the stolen spoils of murder into combat ready position. "Poetic, wouldn't you say?"

Jaune's attention was taken away by the sight of figures in white fang attire creeping out from the treeline. Mercury gave the soldiers a nonchalant glance over his shoulder as they made their way towards the town, none spared the two soon to be combatants a second look. "Don't worry, they won't interfere. It's just me and you."

The pale moon disappeared behind thick clouds, obstructing it from view. The ambient lighting faded away like the lights of a stage dimming before the show.

Mercury made his move. He blasted off the ground with both his gunboots before spinning mid air and firing three more shots from them in quick succession. Jaune's snapped his shield up to guard his face, it absorbed all three hits without issue. The huntsman in training knew that being cornered on the edge of a cliff wouldn't help his already slim chances of survival. He charged his opponent, leading with his shield. Mercury braced himself a moment before their shields made contact, his eyes widened as Jaune struck him with such force that his arm burned with pain. Mercury's feet slid back against his will, forced to give ground by the scraggly student's surprising strength, deep furrows were left in the snow as his booted feet scraped aside the white blanket. The assassin frowned and pushed himself clear of his opponent, he flipped backwards with a graceful somersault and planted his gunboots on the upper edge of Jaune's shield. The twinned point blank blasts sent his adversary sprawling. The edge of Jaune's shield impacted his forehead and glanced off his aura. He skidded along the slick snow and stopped just short of the cliff edge. Jaune clambered back to his feet and shook his head to clear the dancing colours at the periphery of his vision.

Mercury sauntered up confidently as Jaune prepared himself for the inevitable attack. He swung Crocea Mors in a wide arc aimed at the assassin's neck, hoping to fend off his opponent and buy himself precious seconds. Mercury would allow him no such luxury, he deftly parried the blow and followed up with a straight thrust. Jaune twisted sideways, but with a cliff at his back there was little room to manoeuvre, his deceased teammate's weapon would have left a deep gouge along his shoulder if not for his aura's protection. He batted his opponent's sword aside with his shield and delivered slash after slash to Akouo. He felt a little bit of his heart break with every impact, every desecration of Pyrrha's weapons and memory left him increasingly bitter and fueled the fires of rage burning within his chest.

Mercury stabbed in low with Milo, causing Jaune to jerk back and teeter on the cliff's edge. The grey clad killer transitioned into a sweeping kick that his opponent managed to duck under as he stumbled forwards, away from the threat of the fall at his back. Mercury swept his leg round again intent on bringing an axe kick down into his adversary's skull. Jaune pre-empted the attack by pushing upwards and wrapping his forearms around the shin of Mercury's outstretched leg. With a cry of exertion and the tensing of his core muscles he pulled Mercury off the ground before slamming him back into Remnant with as much force he could muster.

Mercury meanwhile, cried out in surprise at the unexpected move as his orientation suddenly changed. He cried out a second time as his skull and shoulder blades smashed into the frozen, rock hard ground below. He brought his free leg up and risked a snap shot that hit Jaune square in the jaw. Jaune let go on reflex and staggered back, once again one step away from the bloodthirsty oblivion of frothing waves below.

There would be no respite as Mercury flipped back to his feet and advanced once more. He struck with a series of slashes and stabs, along with the occasional shot from Milo in rifle form. Jaune was forced to use both his shield and his sword defensively, the onslaught left him with little opportunity to strike back. He was barely managing to block most of the attacks. A few strikes did make it through his defence, luckily his unusually large aura pool absorbed the damage, though it's protection was being steadily eroded just like the wave battered boulders below.

An upwards swing from Milo knocked Jaune's sword from his grasp. The sword span into the air over his shoulder. Jaune rose to his full height and leaned backwards. He snatched his sword from the air, now holding it tip down. With a cry of exertion he lunged forwards, his inverted sword bypassed his opponent's shield, due to the unexpected angle of attack. Mercury's eyes widened as the blade sliced through the thick leather straps holding his shield in place. As the bronze disk fell free, Jaune lashed out with his foot, kicking Akouo clear and sending it skidding across the snowy meadow.

He tried to capitalise on his move by flipping his sword back into the standard grip and delivering a straight armed thrust to his opponent. Mercury countered by snapping his leg up and deflecting the attack upwards. Jaune brought the blade back down in a vertical slash. Mercury placed his free hand on the flat of his blade and hefted the sword above his head. The blades met with a weighty clang that sent vibrations cascading down both combatant's arms. Milo mechashifted into rifle form, Mercury side stepped as Jaune's now unobstructed blade slammed into the ground. He tried to bring his sword arm back up but was rewarded with a bone creaking kick from Mercury. The assassin span on his heel and elbowed Jaune in the face while simultaneously blasting Jaune's sword back down with a shot from Milo. His free hand gripped the edge of Jaune's shield as he twisted yet again and flipped into the air. He straightened out, connecting both boots with Jaune's face, the twinned blasts took Jaune's aura down to forty percent and propelled Mercury clear, tearing his opponent's shield from his arm in the process.

Jaune was knocked over by the blast, his stomach impacted the cliff edge and winded him while his legs windmilled, scrabbling for purchase on the slick black rocks of the cliff face. He pulled himself back onto level ground and rose on quaking knees. Mercury stood waiting patiently a few feet away As Jaune's eyes met Mercury's, the assassin's lips curled into a predatory smile. He let out a low, threatening chuckle. "Oh Jaune, thank you!" He exclaimed. "I never expected such an entertaining fight from you." He twirled his stolen sword idly in his hands. "After that piss poor tournament, I needed this. I really did. Do you know how frustrating it is for an assassin to be sent to fight people without killing them? Goes against my good nature, I don't do things by halves." He added, throwing Jaune's shield like a frisbee into the meadow at his back. The shield sheath skidded to a halt, leaning against Pyrrha's shield.

"Is this all some sort of sick game to you?" Jaune snapped.

"Life's always been a game Jaune, either you win or you die." The conversation seemed to be over as Mercury blurred into motion, advancing and swinging Pyrrha's sword at his opponent's head.

Jaune ducked under the swing and spun on his heel before slashing into Mercury's shoulder, taking a sizeable slice from the assassin's aura pool. Mercury teetered on the cliff edge and windmilled his arms as he flinched away from the sheer drop. He elbowed Jaune, twisted around and slashed at his opponent's midsection. Jaune brought his sword up to block. The moment the blades clashed Mercury flicked his wrist, inverting Milo and mecha shifting it into rifle form in one fluid motion. The muzzle was now inside Jaune's guard.

The grey clad killer emptied his clip, totally depleting Jaune's aura. Tatters of his white tinted aura fell away as his protective field was shattered. Only his chest plate saved him. Bullet holes pockmarked its surface but none fully penetrated, though the impacts instantly left the blond with severe bruises. Jaune wheezed in pain and weakly tried to raise his sword as his adversary needlessly reloaded the rifle. Mercury switched Milo back into sword form and batted asside his opponents weapon with ease. His free hand cupped the back of Jaune's skull.

Mercury leaned forward and whispered into his opponent's ear. "You're good..." Pyrrha's sword slammed into Jaune's sternum, stopping only when the blade burst out his back. Jaune's eyes widened as he felt the sword rip through the flesh of his torso, his weapon slipped from his limp fingers. His lips parted in a silent scream and allowed a thin line of blood to seep from the corner of his mouth. Mercury twisted the blade left and right prompting Jaune to shudder and let out a pained gurgle. The victorious assassin took a step back from his swaying adversary. Jaune forced his head up to meet his murderer's eyes before the end.

Mercury's leg snapped up in a brutal kick, he planted his gunboot on the pommel of the sword embedded in his opponent's chest and fired. The blast forced Milo deeper, yet more of the blade erupted from his back as the sword hilted itself in his torso. The force of the impact knocked Jaune onto his back. Mercury took two slow, purposeful strides forwards to stand over his fallen foe. "But I'm better."

The foreboding sound of snow crunching underfoot preceded the assassin coming into the periphery of Jaune's fading vision, with yet another infuriating smirk on his face.

Mercury suddenly snapped his head up, away from his fallen foe and towards two new opponents. His eyes widened as dust ammunition stitched the air around him, a couple rounds spanked off his aura taking it down to a third.

"JAUNE!" Nora screamed as she charged in with her hammer brandished above her head.

Mercury crouched and triggered his gunboots, propelling himself clear of the enraged hammer wielder. He flipped backwards and disappeared over the cliff edge. The sound of his weapons firing could still be heard. Ren and Nora reached the cliff edge to discover he had survived the fall and was leaping nimbly from rock to rock. The pair tried and failed to connect shots with his lithe body as it bounded between boulders. His grey clad figure soon disappeared, shrouded by the salty spray of the sea and concealed in the all consuming darkness of the moonless night.

With the threat dealt with, Nora and Ren sprinted back to the prone form of their leader.

Jaune stared up at the starry sky with shining, tear slick eyes. Nora's face shot into view, her eyes wet with tears of her own. He could hear Ren's frantic voice telling her where to apply pressure and was dimly aware of two pairs of hands pressing against his torso. Nora complied with Ren's instructions, sobbing all the while. Jaune tried to reassure her, to tell her 'everything was going to be ok' but all his efforts resulted in was a spluttered cough that aspirated blood and sent it splattering across his face and neck.

He felt a comforting warmth spread across his back as his hot blood stained the pristine snow in which he lay. His fingers tingled, either the frostbite was finally settling in or he was running out of blood to pump to his extremities. Ren's urgent instructions and Nora's sobbing faded away. The night grew darker as his vision failed him. All the pain died away, Jaune was finally at peace.

Even as all these changes occurred, one thing remained the same:

The last thought in Jaune's mind before his lids slid shut, was the same as every other time he had closed his eyes.

Pyrrha.

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 **Please leave a review!**

Just a little side project I finished a while ago but never got round to releasing, basically a practice run at some new fight descriptions.

Bunny and the Bully is still a thing, just have a little writers block

Hope you enjoyed this :)


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby paced back and forth impatiently across the threadbare beige carpet of her and Qrowe's motel room. Occasionally she paused to examine the darkened patches on the carpet where her boots had left moisture on the floor, the frigid air failed to evaporate the traces of snow. The room smelled of damp, though Ruby doubted her footprints were to blame. She decided to crack open the window, hopefully it would combat the slightly unpleasant odour. Trying to work the stiff and somewhat rusted lock provided welcome distraction. Finally the window's handle gave up fighting her. She slid the window upwards and wedged a slim wooden block from the window sill beneath it to keep it from closing. The wind's whistle, muted yet shrill, reached her ears but that wasn't all…

A gunshot rang out in the distance, sounding like a stick snapping in the cool, crisp air. Normally a single gunshot in one of the kingdom's scattered settlements would be little cause for concern, usually Ruby would have dismissed it as a stray Grimm being put down by a perimeter patrol. But that particular gunshot was known to her, familiar even...

That was the sound of a gunshot from Mercury's boots.

 _Impossible, it couldn't be… but if it was…_

Ruby snatched Crescent Rose from the surface of the dresser and shouldered open the door. She descended the steps two at a time and sprinted past the bar, ignoring the mystified looks from the inn's other patrons.

"Ruby wait!" Ren yelled as the red reaper ran past him in a flurry of red petals. Nora downed her pint as her teammate grabbed her by the arm and steered her towards the stairs to retrieve their weapons from their room.

Meanwhile, Ruby burst through the double doors and out into the night. Rose petals billowed behind her, they spiralled down to the snow covered ground, moistening and turning a darker, more blood like, shade of red. A cold biting wind pinched her cheeks, the sparse street lamps failed to pierce the black veil of the moonless night. She paused, peering into the blizzard, _nothing._ She cocked her ear and listened.

Another gunshot.

There could be no doubt this time. She resumed her advance in the sound's direction, accompanied only by the crunch of fresh snow underfoot and the wet slaps of her rapidly dampening cloak against her legs. She suppressed her shivers and forged on down the street.

A sultry voice, as sweet and sickly as red sap syrup, stopped her in her tracks. She skidded to a halt in the centre of an intersection.

"Ruby Rose." The voice stated with a mixture of disgust and disdain. The words spoken slow and purposeful by lips that seemed to savour some long awaited pleasure in uttering her name.

Ruby turned. A female figure sashayed from the shadows. She knew who it was by voice alone. She didn't need to see the signature surety in the swagger of her steps. She didn't need to see the soulless gaze of those amber eyes that glowed as if in defiance to the darkness that engulfed the rest of her body. It was the woman who had plagued her dreams and worsened her nightmares these past few weeks.

Cinder Fall.

Ruby's shivers began anew. Though these involuntary twitches were no longer from the ever present chill of Patch's winter night. This minute yet violent shaking was a result of the near overflowing rage coursing through Ruby's veins. She stared down Pyrrha's murderer. Ruby slowly, deliberately unclipped Crescent Rose from the small of her back, her silver eyes did not leave Cinder's amber orbs for a second. She pulled the lever to spur her weapon into motion. Crescent Rose unfurled with a series of menacing clanks. The tip of her scythe's blade buried itself in the snow.

Cinder responded by opening the palm of her right hand. The fiery outline of a scimitar materialised, seemingly from nothing. The image solidified, a charcoal coloured broad blade with a gleaming edge. Orange gems appeared, embedded along the flat of the blade as Cinder willed her weapon into existence. She wrapped her slender fingers around the sword's handle. A thin line of fire traced the blade's multiple cutting edges, finally illuminating Cinder in all her finery. The snow around her feet melted, the water replacing it was soon boiled away, shrouding Cinder's shapely legs in a veil of steam. The light from her weapon was now bolstered by the glow of the designs on her red dress. Her luscious red lips parted in a smug half smile as her amber eyes lit up with unfathomable power. If she felt the cold at all she didn't show it, she remained motionless, waiting for Ruby to make the first move.

Seeing Cinder smile, after everything she had done, all the people she had killed, was too much for Ruby. The red reaper pulled the charging handle on her rifle, chambering a round. She grit her teeth as a low growl emanated from her throat.

"Still as courageous as ever I see." Cinder's husky voice cooed as her Scimitar emerged from the steam, held vertically in front of her body. A subtle harshness marred her usually dulcet tones. "Tell me, Ruby, did your courage save Penny? Did it save Pyrrha?... Your sister-"

Whatever Cinder was going to say would have to remain unsaid. Ruby let out a scream of raw rage as she swung Crescent Rose behind her. Sparks flew from the icy ground as the tip of Ruby's scythe scraped across the frozen flagstones. Her battle cry rose in pitch as she charged her opponent.

Cinder's eyes narrowed as if in annoyance as she swung her sword in a horizontal sweep well before Ruby had closed the distance. A solid wave of flame swept down the street, engulfing its entirety in a blazing inferno, scorching storefronts and shattering windows from the sheer conclusive force. A cloud of white steam hissed up into the night, soon followed by a pall of black smoke as the snow instantly evaporated and the fire took root in the surrounding buildings.

A wall of blistering heat and semi-molten glass impacted the red reaper, throwing her back to whence she came. She bounced and tumbled down the street, somehow maintaining a hold of her weapon. She slammed the curved blade of Crescent Rose into the ground and brought herself to a screeching halt. Ruby gasped for the cool winter air to soothe her scorched throat. Her shoulders rose and fell in time to her ragged breaths. She shook her head to try to rid the ringing from her ears. Her aura had absorbed the monumental blow at the cost of a third of her aura pool. Ruby cast her blurred vision back down the street.

A low, yet brittle laugh brought her back to reality. The smoke dissipated, revealing Cinder, her scimitar held casually at her side, her face as impassive and unforgiving as the stone upon which she stood. The signature chatter of Ren's machine pistols and the crump of Nora's grenade launcher reached the ears of the two combatants. Ruby turned towards the sound, concern evident on her features. Cinder's voice snatched her attention away from her friends plight. "When I finish killing you, your friends are next. Then the rest of your pitiful race."

"I'll stop you!" Ruby yelled as she dragged her scythe back into ready position. "Right here, right now. I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Cinder cocked her head to one side as if analyzing her opponent, the smug half smile returned to her face. "You'll fail." Her sultry voice intoned, as if explaining something painfully obvious to a very young child. "Like every huntress before you. Like Goodwitch, like Ozpin… Like your mother." Cinder's smile took on a predatory quality as she noticed Ruby's eyes widen. "They still haven't told you? Even after what happened at Beacon?" Ruby didn't reply, too stunned for words. Her silence was all the confirmation her nemesis needed. "She died in pain, alone and afraid." She cooed. "I killed her. Summer Rose died screaming, by my hand." Cinder savoured every moment of delicious pain as tears welled in Ruby's silver eyes.

"DIE!" Ruby screamed hoarsely, as she charged her opponent once more. Her cloak flowed out behind her, she pulled Crescent Rose back behind her body, ready to swing the moment she came within striking distance of her target. Cinder wrapped both hands around the haft of her sword and entered combat stance.

Ruby was now less than fifteen meters from her opponent. Cinder slashed again with her burn dust infused scimitar. Another wave of flame cascaded down the street. Steel signposts wilted and curled like the stems of dried out plants. Ruby leapt into the air and swung her scythe beneath her. She pulled the trigger, the recoil sending her spinning skywards, she narrowly cleared the incoming inferno. Flames singed the edge of her cloak as she fired her weapon a second time, rocketing directly towards her opponent. A fierce yell left her throat as she slashed down at Cinder. Scythe met sword in a flurry of sparks as the cutting edge of Crescent Rose slid down the length of the opposing blade. Ruby's feet finally made contact with the floor as squealing metal suddenly clanged. The scythe's blade had met the sword's slender hand guard. Cinder deftly flicked her scimitar to the left with surprising strength given the slightness of the movement. Ruby's guard was wide open.

Before Ruby could react, the pommel of her enemies sword crashed into her cheek bone, depleting yet more of her aura and staggering her back several paces. Ruby cried out in frustration and lunged at her opponent. Cinder thrust her sword at the advancing huntress in training, forcing her to deflect the blow. Before Ruby could counter with a strike of her own, Cinder followed up with a slash, then another, and another. Her sword became a grey blur, delivering strikes in such rapid succession that most would have trouble tracking each attack, let alone blocking them. Ruby twirled her scythe in her hands and spun it around her body. The two combatants engaged in a deadly dance, two partners interlocked in a fight to the death. Cinder's face remained impassive and the deluge showed no signs of cessation. So frequent were the strikes that Ruby's aura couldn't hope to protect her from every attack. Shreds of Ruby's cloak fluttered away, cut loose by the flurry of blows. Shallow cuts littered her petite frame, from her cheek to her shin, thin red lines allowed blood to seep into her clothes. Ruby blocked and parried, scarcely able to hold her own, such was the intensity of the assault, each jolt and vibration of their weapons making contact stung her palms. The young warrior came to the horrid realisation that her opponent was toying with her.

But Ruby kept on coming. _Not one step back, people are counting on me_. She was gaining ground, an inch at a time, though her inexorable advance only intensified her opponent's onslaught. She blocked a slash from her left, then twisted her head out of the path of a straight thrust. Cinder transitioned into a diagonal slash that nicked Ruby's shoulder as she ducked beneath the blow. Cinder span on her heel and brought her sword down in a vertical slash. The red reaper crouched and hefted her scythe above her head. Cinder's scimitar impacted Crescent Rose with a weighty clang. Ruby relinquished her hold on her weapon with her left hand, allowing the scythe to tilt and fall across her shoulders, the blade resting on the ground beside her. Cinder's sword squealed down the length of Crescent Rose's handle in a shower of sparks that failed to ignite Ruby's cloak since it was dampened by snow, sweat and blood. The second she felt her the weight of her enemy's weapon shift off of her own Ruby pushed with all her might.

The unexpected move forced Cinder off balance. She tried to take back the advantage with a hasty one handed sweep of her sword. Ruby fired Crescent Rose into the ground and somersaulted over the attack. She fired again in midair, using the recoil to move to Cinder's left. She bounced on the balls of her feet and pulled the trigger, flipping behind her opponent. She started swinging her scythe before her feet hit the ground. Her opponent's weapon was on the other side of her body, too far away to block the attack.

Cinder's scimitar dissolved into dust and flakes of orange embers. Ruby's eyes widened as the sword reassembled in Cinder's other hand. Crescent Rose slammed into the scimitar, both blades bounced away from each other. Ruby stumbled back off balance as her adversary took her first step since the battle's beginning. Ruby's aching muscles dragged her weapon back into a defensive stance as Cinder's leg bolted forwards in a vicious kick. The attack slammed the handle of Crescent Rose into Ruby's chest, fracturing two ribs and propelling the huntress in training backwards at breakneck speed. Ruby cried out in pain and frustration as she tumbled through the air and smashed through the scorched wooden wall of a small warehouse. Her bruised and bloodied body smacked into the concrete floor, she bounced twice before rolling to a stop.

Ruby pushed herself up onto her knees and straightened her back. She shook her hair from her eyes as Cinder strolled through the opening Ruby's flailing frame had made in the warehouse wall, her scimitar held casually at her side once more. Her lips twisted into a malicious smile and a low, menacing chuckle slipped between her lips.

"What's so funny?" Ruby hissed as she tore a sizeable shard of wood from her forearm.

Cinder came to a stop and stared down at her kneeling adversary. "I doubt you would appreciate the irony."

"Try me." Ruby shot back as she used the shaft of Crescent Rose to push herself to her feet.

Cinder quirked an eyebrow. "Had I known of your existence, so much of this could have been avoided. I could have killed you in your crib, snuffed out your light with the simple flick of a wrist… with the Summer maiden's powers Autumn would have been far easier prey." Cinder smirked as a cruel thought occurred to her. "None of this would have happened. I wouldn't have needed to kill Penny… or Pyrrha. Don't you see? It's all your fault Ruby."

The red reaper let out a heart breaking scream, full of rage and pain and grief as she charged Cinder once more. Her opponent readied her weapon and met her halfway.

Cinder's sword glowed with a malevolent orange light as the blades clashed. An explosion blasted Ruby into the air, her opponent prowled through the cloud of flames and leapt after her. Ruby swung her scythe down at her airborne adversary, deflecting Cinders strike. Her opponent slashed again as gravity finally started to tear the two combatants from the air. Ruby's guard was knocked wide open, before she could recover Cinder's heel connected with her shoulder and sent her tumbling to the ground. In one fluid motion the red reaper rolled and swept Crescent Rose out behind her. She pulled the trigger, her rifle's recoil sent her straight back towards her opponent, with a cry of exertion she brought her scythe up and over her head in a vertical slash. Cinder somersaulted over her and stabbed down. Ruby fired again to hasten the process of bringing her weapon to bare. She narrowly deflected the attack. But didn't have time to dodge the kick that her attacker sent her way. Ruby's head snapped to the side as the toe of Cinder's shoe connected with her temple.

Ruby fell backwards and rolled over a wooden crate. She kicked the box along the floor towards her adversary, hoping to at least slow her enemy down.

Cinder swept her sword up and cut the crate in half with a diagonal swing and barged through the neatly bisected box without slowing her step. The red reaper stumbled backwards and brought up Crescent Rose to block. Cinder easily knocked her enemy's weapon aside with a one handed swing. Ruby's eyes widened as her opponent's left hand burst into flame. Cinder clenched her hand into a fiery fist and threw a straight jab that hit Ruby in the stomach, blasting her nemesis through the warehouse wall and back onto the street.

Her opponent followed. She strolled out into the open, dragging the tip of her sword along the edge of the rupture, eliciting sparks and embers from the wooden wall in her wake.

"Magnificent." Cinder sighed as coruscating flame danced along the clenching fist of her free hand. "I feel it now. This is the true power of a maiden." Ruby tried to rise to her feet, something inside her exploded with white hot pain and she collapsed onto her knees and whimpered, eliciting a frown from Cinder. "I'm insulted, how could your mother think you were more worthy to inherit her power than me."

"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Ruby hissed through gritted teeth as unfallen tears stung her eyes.

"Ignorant human. You think Autumn was the first maiden whose power we tried to claim?" Cinder snapped. "How could Summer ever think you were worthy of becoming a maiden? Look at you, you're pathetic!" She hissed, pointing her blade disdainfully at her fallen foe. "You have all this power… and this is all you can do with it Ruby?"

Cinder's words triggered something within Ruby, awakening a power that had long lay dormant. Her silver eyes shone with incorporeal light. The red reaper rose to her feet and stared Cinder down. Her thumb slid over the magazine release of Crescent Rose. The half empty clip clattered against the paving stones as she slid a fresh magazine into place with a dull click. She slowly, deliberately, slid back the charging lever with a threatening clack.

Ruby's words were but a whisper. A voice raw with emotion emanated from her throat. "I'll show you what I can do."

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter

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